Thursday, October 7, 2010

It's Thursday, Must be Time for Another Post

It's not that it's been a slow week. It's more like my head feels like it's been stuffed with feathers. And cotton. And what is delicately known as, well, you know. Okay, I really hate the word mucus, but that is what my life has been about lately.

And do you really want me to blog about that?

I didn't think so.

I actually started a post earlier this week called "I Find It All Irritating." It was mucus-related, sure. But I also spent quite a few paragraphs talking about my children's homework situation. Which is excessive. And ridiculous. Grounds for homeschooling.

Unfortunately, it's hard to be funny when your head is stuffed and you can't smell or hear or anything. It was a very whiny post. Very unattractive. Though I really am steamed about how much homework my second grade son gets. I understand that Americans are way behind the rest of the world academically, but we're way ahead when it comes to childhood obesity, and that should count for something. Let's just call it a draw and let the second graders play outside after school like it says in the Bible.

One nice thing to report: Will has taken up playing the harmonica. He found the harmonica in the special "Where We Hide the Harmonica from the Children" hiding place in the attic. But you know what? He's a very responsible harmonica player. No wild wheezing, no painfully high screeches. He makes up songs. They are nice songs like, "This Song Sounds Like a Song about a Parade," and "The Tampa Bay Rays Rule!"

And since I can't hear, I think they are very lovely songs, indeed.

I'm going to the mountains next week to drive around and visit schools and talk about the wonders of being a writer, which mostly seem to consist of driving around and visiting schools to talk about the wonders of being a writer. I hope I'm going to be able to access the Internet from my hotel room, one, so I can watch Netflix on my computer, and two, so I can keep up with my blog-o-sphere duties. If you don't hear from me, it's because I'm pretty famous for not being able to do stuff like access the Internet from a hotel room.

But with any luck, and if I remember to take my camera, I will be back next week with photos of the mountains in autumn. Until then, I hope you don't catch my cold. If I were you, I'd go squirt some of that antibiotic Germ-X stuff on your hands right now. And then drink some tea and eat some chocolate. You don't want to take any chances.

7 comments:

magsmcc said...

Love this post! Love you! Loving thoughts of whining woman swearing at Internet things in far away hotel room! Cannot wait to hear all about it! The wonders of being a writer- it's all you!

Tracy said...

You poor thing ~ you were meant to get better super fast when I wished that upon you over a week ago. Be gone foul snot bugs, be gone!

I feel for you with the homework. We had one teacher in a previous school whose expectations of what a Year 1 child could accomplish exceeded reality. Be brave (when you're better) and have a chat with the teacher. They need to understand that these things impact ENTIRE families...not just the student who has no time to play.

Have fun in the mountains!

GretchenJoanna said...

What *I* should have been doing, I think, is gargling and rinsing with salt water more often! Because I got a cough that was awfully annoying and cramping of my style of vacationing. It took the whole week away to *go* away, or almost...
Too bad you have to be gone from home when you're not well! I'll pray that you will miraculously be able to connect to the Net and find comfort with all of us blogging friends.

Pom Pom said...

I agree. The homework is ridiculous. I know so many teachers who labor over their kids' homework and stay up too late trying to "help" them get it done. Kids should be running around wildly and riding their bikes, not revisiting all that sitting. I rarely give homework. I never get any complaints. I'm so sorry that you are under the weather. I bet that mountain air will fix you. I was just thinking tonight about how fun it would be if you could come to my school. I'm going to ask the librarian what she thinks. She's sort of cheap, but maybe . . . Would you email me and tell me how much it would cost? Maybe I could write a little grant.

Gumbo Lily said...

Yes, homework for second graders is grounds for homeschooling indeed!

Harmonica songs....wonderful. I like the take-along-ability of a harmonica.

Hoping you drink more tea and get over this mucus thing. I'm feeling a bit tickly-throated myself these days and I'm resisting. Resisting!

Jody

Heather said...

Feel better and have a great trip!

Tracy said...

Hey Frances

Hope the trip to the mountains went well, and that you managed enough rest to start feeling better.

Take care of yourself!